Question:medium

The four sentences (labelled 1, 2, 3 and 4) below, when properly sequenced, would yield a coherent paragraph. Decide on the proper sequencing of the order of the sentences and key in the sequence of the four numbers as your answer:
[1] The trajectory of cheerfulness through the self is linked to the history of the word ‘cheer’ which comes from an Old French meaning ‘face’.
[2] Translations of the Bible into vernacular languages, expanded the noun ‘cheer’ into the more abstract ‘cheerful-ness’, something that circulates as an emotional and social quality defining the self and a moral community.
[3] When you take on a cheerful expression, no matter what the state of your soul, your cheerfulness moves into the self: the interior of the self is changed by the power of cheer.
[4] People in the medieval ‘Canterbury Tales’ have a ‘piteous’ or a ‘sober’ cheer; ‘cheer’ is an expression and a body part, lying at the intersection of emotions and physiognomy.

Updated On: Mar 20, 2026
  • 3124
  • 3214
  • 3412
  • 3142
Show Solution

The Correct Option is D

Solution and Explanation

To sequence the sentences coherently:
  1. Sentence [3] establishes that cheerfulness impacts the self via facial expressions, implying a transformation as cheer enters the self.
  2. Sentence [1] traces the etymology of 'cheer' to Old French, meaning 'face', thereby linking it to expressions and identity.
  3. Sentence [4] uses 'Canterbury Tales' as a historical example, demonstrating 'cheer' as both expression and physical attribute, connected to emotions and the human experience.
  4. Sentence [2] details the semantic shift of 'cheer' to 'cheerfulness' through Bible translations, marking its circulation as an emotional and social attribute.
The correct sequence is 3142, presenting a logical progression from individual impact to historical context and semantic evolution.
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